Pizza Jointz

MelroseHawkins

MelroseHawkins

Well-Known Member
Ok. Let us know your favorite place to get a pie in Iowa or heck anywhere. Any hidden gems around?

What makes a great pie in your eyes? I would have to say the crust first. That is the foundation of the whole thing and if that isn't top notch, the pizza won't be. Not a big fan of the flat, floury dense crusts. Like to be a little airy. 2nd would have to say the sauce. The sauce makes the pizza as well.

Anybody have a favorite peetza joint they'd like to share?
 
A lot of good pizza places in Des Moines area based on local Italian families. Bordenaro's has a nice thin crust. Orlando's has their own sauce and sausage. Most places use Graziano's sausage. Centro, Scornovaccos, Noah's Ark, Chuck Bisignanos and many are all good and have slightly different tastes.

A real good pizza sauce needs some good amount of fennel in it.

Sauce is the major thing for me and many places do not put on enough sauce and I will pay for extra sauce.. The crust is important but is mainly the conveyor of sauce and toppings. I like a nice wheat crust also.
 
Does anyone here swear by Fongs? I've tried to go there 3 times but the line and wait made us choose other locations.
 
Papa's Pizza in Polk City is my favorite in the Des Moines area for sure. Love that freakin' place.
 
InGoodCo said:
Does anyone here swear by Fongs? I've tried to go there 3 times but the line and wait made us choose other locations.
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I have had their pizza and it is very good but very custom/different. Yeah dont want to do the wait.

Big Tomato is good after 10 PM by the slice pizza that is usually quick.
 
uihawk82 said:
I have had their pizza and it is very good but very custom/different. Yeah dont want to do the wait.

Big Tomato is good after 10 PM by the slice pizza that is usually quick.
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seriously - always been dieing to try it but I am not going to make reservations since I am not from DM and I aint waiting an hour either.... so it's likely I'll probably never get to try it.
 
Knoxville has 3. Fast Freddies is carryout only. There is Wackos. Then they just opened a new one, That used to be in Des Moines, Corgiglianos. Had that for the first time, since they just opened July17. That is a good pizza.
 
By far the best is Zipps Pizza in Adair IA, on north side of I-80. Second best, IMHO, is the Wig and Pen in IC.

Other contenders are Jerry's Pizza and also Bob Rowe's in Sioux City.
 
EstronHawkKing said:
Pagliai's Pizza in Iowa City is the best. End of discussion!
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Agreed! My mom was a waitress at Pagliai's when she was a teenager in the 60's. Anyway, best pizza in town if not just for history's sake. Otherwise, it's hard to beat the Airliner's pizzas, but when it's late and everyone has the drunk/stoned munchies, a
Paul Revere's Terminator hits the spot.
 
Local Iowa City Pizza-
Sams Chicago style. They don't skimp on the toppings.
Gumbys - Only their sausage/jalapeno pizza. Flavor is amazing. Otherwise meh.
Alexandros- Kalona pizza shop that makes thin crust Greek style which is more flaky and light rather then the heavier regular crust. Makes it so much better.

Best outside area pizza-
Giordanos in Chicago- They are the deep dish masters and they have a way of making the flavors pop rather then just having it be a bland pizza.

If you are in the Iowa City area during the summer, look up Guyers Pizza. Its a farm who has three brick ovens and they have all you can pizza on the second and fourth Thursday nights of the month. They make use farm fresh items and have some interesting pizzas. So very good for 12$!!
 
Big fan of Wig and Pen. Pagliai's is a good call. Someone mentioned Big Tomato, which is awesome too. Back in the day I used to like The Other Place, but the last time I was there, the crust tasted like pre-made cardboard. That's the great thing about pizza. it can be found anywhere and you can put anything on it.

Second question - Any homemade pizza cooks out there? I've been making pizza at home for years. It's not an easy process to perfect. Especially if you make your own crust and sauce and like the crust cooked a certain way. I really like grilling it the most.
 
cockyhawkfan said:
Big fan of Wig and Pen. Pagliai's is a good call. Someone mentioned Big Tomato, which is awesome too. Back in the day I used to like The Other Place, but the last time I was there, the crust tasted like pre-made cardboard. That's the great thing about pizza. it can be found anywhere and you can put anything on it.

Second question - Any homemade pizza cooks out there? I've been making pizza at home for years. It's not an easy process to perfect. Especially if you make your own crust and sauce and like the crust cooked a certain way. I really like grilling it the most.
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I take like a rotisserie chicken and pull the good stuff off. Take an onion, red and green pepper and grill that those separate and then put it all on like a flat bread. Grill it for 5 to 10, and then put like a sriracha/ranch mix sauce on the top and then a lil mozzarella cheese. Unbelievable.
 
In the Quad Cities area, Harris Pizza and all their knock-offs (there are probably four or five knock-offs open now). It's got to be the most copied pizza around. Cedar Rapids used to have a place called Cranky Hank's Pizza. They advertised themselves as "genuine Quad City style pizza"..... it was a Harris Pizza knock off.

In Muscatine, Salvatore's. Definitely. Nothing frozen, hand-made from scratch. The only pizza I've every had that approaches Salvatore's is Mabe's in Decorah. I'd put Salvatore's above Wig and Pen, Giordanno's and Pagliai's.
 
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